NOTEBOOK: Phoenix race gives Sean Hingorani his first chance to build off his championship season in the West Series

www.arcaracing.com March 7, 2024

A lot has changed for defending ARCA Menards Series West champion Sean Hingorani ahead of Friday’s General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway.

Moving from Venturini Motorsports to Hattori Racing Enterprises, Hingorani is maintaining high expectations for his sophomore outing on the ARCA platform. He views Friday’s combination event as a perfect chance to pick up where he left off in 2023.

“I’ve got a good group of guys down at Hattori Racing Enterprises making this deal happen,” Hingorani said. “They’ve been putting in a lot of hard work in the shop starting from scratch while building this ARCA program for me. Those guys have won a [NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series] championship, so I can’t say enough about them.”

Sean Hingorani
Sean Hingorani celebrates winning the West Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: Zac BonDurant/ARCA Racing)

Despite dealing with plenty of positives and negatives, Hingorani saw his time with Venturini Motorsports as invaluable for his long-term development. Being able to lean on the organization’s rigid support system provided Hingorani all the necessary fundamentals that he needed to find Victory Lane four times as a rookie.

Hingorani intends to utilize that knowledge to help HRE transition from full-time competition in the Truck Series into an ARCA program. He competed in one Truck Series event last year with HRE at the Milwaukee Mile, where he finished 23rd.

There will be plenty of experience for Hingorani to rely on as he prepares for the 2024 season. Sitting atop the pit box as Hingorani’s crew chief in 2024 is former driver Mark McFarland, who led Ty Gibbs and Sammy Smith to ARCA championships when he worked for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Hingorani considers himself fortunate to team up with HRE after a part-time Truck Series deal fell through at the last minute. While he does not yet know if he’ll attempt to defend his West Series championship, Hingorani intends to showcase his talent in HRE’s No. 61 Toyota at every opportunity, starting with Phoenix this weekend.

“There wasn’t a lot of time to build this car from the ground up, but [HRE] made it happen,” Hingorani said. “We’re going to show everyone what we’re capable of with a bad fast race car. I showed just how fast I was at Phoenix [in the fall], so I’m going to carry that over into this weekend.”

Hingorani’s bid for his first victory with HRE begins at 6 p.m. MT/8 p.m. ET at Phoenix Raceway on Friday during the General Tire 150. The race will be televised live on FS1 and the Fox Sports App.

Grant Enfinger
Grant Enfinger looks to add another victory while driving the No. 23 at Phoenix Raceway for Friday’s General Tire 150. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/ARCA Racing)

Grant Enfinger back in familiar No. 23 at Phoenix

The No. 23 has been synonymous with success for Grant Enfinger during his motorsports career.

For Friday’s General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway, Enfinger will once again be in his iconic No. 23 Chevrolet, this time while competing for Sigma Performance Services as a teammate to owner-driver Joe Farré.

When Enfinger was progressing through the developmental ladder, he piloted the No. 23 to six victories and his lone ARCA Menards Series title in 2015 under the GMS Racing banner. The partnership between the two organizations later carried over into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where Enfinger has scored four of his 10 wins inside a No. 23 Chevrolet.

Although GMS Racing folded after the 2023 season, the team’s spirit remains through Sigma Performance Services. Since entering the ARCA Menards Series West during the second half of last season, Sigma Performance Services has used the same No. 23 font that GMS Racing carried as a tribute to Spencer Clark, who was killed in a highway accident in 2006.

Enfinger is seeking to deliver Sigma Performance Services their first victory in what will be his debut appearance in the West Series. Doing so would be the 12th win for Enfinger in a No. 23 across ARCA and NASCAR

William Sawalich
Defending ARCA Menards Series East champion William Sawalich was a late-race spin away from winning in his ARCA debut at Phoenix Raceway last year. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

William Sawalich seeking redemption from near-miss in ARCA debut

The first race for William Sawalich on the ARCA platform nearly resulted in a trip to Victory Lane.

After rebounding from an early spin in last year’s General Tire 150, Sawalich held the lead during the penultimate restart until he was turned on the frontstretch by Bradley Erickson. Sawalich managed to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic, but was forced to limp his wounded car home in 13th.

The disappointment from Phoenix proved to be a minor detour in an otherwise efficient rookie campaign for Sawalich. Not only did he manage to claim the ARCA Menards Series East title, but Sawalich also took home four victories in 13 appearances in the headlining ARCA division.

Sawalich wrapped up his stellar 2023 campaign by returning to Phoenix Raceway and winning the ARCA Menards Series West finale last November.  No one in the 28-car field could touch Sawalich at Phoenix that day, who pulled into Victory Lane after leading 93 of the 100 laps.

Now back with Joe Gibbs Racing for a second season, Sawalich has established himself as a favorite to win Friday’s General Tire 150 along with all the other events he plans to enter across the ARCA platform.

NOTES:

  • Tyler Reif surprised many in the garage area when he passed Landen Lewis on the last lap to win the 2023 General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway while driving for Lowden-Jackson Motorsports. Reif now drives for Todd Souza’s Central Coast Racing team and he’ll look for a repeat performance at Phoenix on Friday.
  • Although Greg Van Alst did not replicate his upset victory at Daytona International Speedway from 2023, he still managed to open the season with a solid third-place finish last month. Van Alst is making his third appearance at Phoenix Raceway this weekend as he looks to improve on a 10th-place effort one year ago.
  • Marco Andretti got a formal introduction to the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway in a chaotic race that saw him place 25th after he retired from the event following a late flat tire and subsequent crash. Andretti now heads to Phoenix, a track where he has prior experience in both the IndyCar Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
  • Long-time West Series veteran John Borneman III is returning to the division in Friday’s General Tire 150, where he will drive the No. 41 Tilly’s/Stoney’s Ford for Lowden-Jackson Motorsports. A three-time West Series winner, Borneman attempted the fall race at Phoenix Raceway for the team but finished 21st after early issues.
  • Four women are among the 43 drivers looking to compete in Friday’s race. In addition to ARCA veterans Amber Balcaen and Toni Breidinger, the event will serve as the ARCA platform debuts for Isabella Robusto and Danica Dart.